When a college asks you to write an essay about why I want to attend specifically their college, how do you respond to that? or in what way should I approach in order to respond to that?

For example, If I basically named all the accomplishments of that college and I said I wanted to be apart of that success, wouldn't they know I was bsing (generic answer I guess for most applicants)? or if i was too honest (e.g. saying that i wanted to attend their college for no particular reason at all or because the school matched my academic caliber) wouldn't they think I have no interest in their school in the first place?

Hello, you could say that you would like to attend their college because you have visited it and you like the programs and clubs they have and you would fit right in because of your personality,traits,or something special you would like them to know about you. Add your special touch to your essay and I am sure they will love it.

just giving this a bump - and adding my own Qs on the topic...but how unique can one get in answering this question? is it necessary to write an attention-grabbing answer? or is an honest and reasonable (but not necessarily witty) answer good enough? how detailed should one get? would it be good enough to tell them that you like so-and-so about their program (for example...in my case...i like your school because the neuroscience major is focused more on psychology than biology, which is the kind of neuroscience i am interested in)? can u say u like it because it is one of the best programs of its kind (if it is), or will that come across as me trying to suck up to them? the hard thing is, i can't really say i like a school because of a certain club, because every other school im applying to has all the clubs im looking for...yeah so basically, as u can tell, im rather befuddled.

Go to the web page for the department or departments you are most interested in. Read the biographies and accomplishments of teachers in that department. Write about something that grabs your attention (wow, I'd like to take that class or talk to someone who knows about X). Or, look at the news releases from the college (also will be on the web page). Find something from the past year - an announcement, an event, speakers - that grabs your attention ("I wish I'd been there") and write about that. Or, go to the alumni section on the web site. Read several back issues. Find out what alumni are doing or what current students are doing that excites you. Write about that. Or, find the student newspaper online. Read about what's happened on campus in the past year. Find something that convinces you this is the right school for you - and write about that. There are lots of ways to move beyond the trite "I am impressed with your prestige" essay and include specific details of what really motivates you to want to go to this school. You're on the right track with your comments about the neuroscience program but why else do you really want to go there? If you can't answer that question in your own mind with at least 3 specific examples, maybe this really isn't the right school for you, and that will only come through in the essay. Show your passion with specifics.

Hmm, do you think it will do if I lean towards how a XYZ education would fit my ideals, career goals, and why I developed such a interest in the fields I intend to pursue before writing why XYZ is perfect for me?

Yes, that would be fine - just make sure to include some specifics about XYZ in the essay, such as the school's emphasis on internships or foreign travel or...

You get the idea. I think they are just trying to make sure that you have actually thought about WHY you want to go to this particular school beyond the "it's prestigious and internationally known" answer.